A Troubling Love
by janel.larue
Summary: Witness the struggled between two people who hold strong, mutual feelings for each other. Will they manage to break through the awkward barrier or continue to struggle with their love? - - - - - - - - - - * Note: I'm making it rated M just in case for future chapters. - - - - - Please note that everyone has their turn-ons/turn-offs. I don't want to hear you complain.
1. Chapter 0 - A note from the Writer

Hello readers, I apologize to cut you off from immediate reading. Before we get to the story, I want to give everyone a heads-up.

My stories are typically romance and typically M rated because of future sexual relationships of the characters. If you do not like it, please leave.

I know that different people have different turn-ons and turn-offs. I don't want to see that you're going to stop reading because this character seemed "rape-y" or it didn't have the personality that you want it to have or you just didn't like what was going on. Keep in mind that it is **my **creation. I see them as I want to and I write for people who enjoy it.

While I'm not trying to be hateful, I'm just wanting everyone who stops by for my stories to keep this in mind. I'm fully aware that there may be (more than likely) typos. I don't have all the time in the world with college work and other matters I must tend to, but they will get fixed. I don't care that you may find my work full of "rape". It's not rape. You may think it is, but there's this thing called Psuedorape. You can look it up for yourselves.

So, without any further explanations, continue on to the story and enjoy.


	2. Chapter 1

It had been months since their last meeting. Tsukimi still lived at Amamizukan with all of her friend's and there was still yet the next time that cross-dresser showed his face. The sisterhood hadn't figured out yet that Kurakao was a fake name and that the reason behind the fake breasts was because it was actually a guy. A sigh escaped across her lips at the thought. All this time, she had been waiting and waiting and waiting for Kuranosuke to return, but why would she be waiting in the first place? She felt heat flood her cheeks and started shaking her head rapidly. _No no no!_ There was no chance in hell she would get butterflies over some gender-confused male!

Tsukimi hadn't taken any advice from him about keeping her appearance clean. Her eyebrows were a mess, she still hadn't taken into consideration she should get contacts, and never bothered with makeup. The sweat pants had remained her daily attire as well. As Tsukimi went out to the bathroom and started downstairs, hearing a commotion. At first, she thought it was Mayaya and Bamba conversing with each other, but then she heard another voice. She froze at the bottom of the stairs, looking over and spotting red hair and an outrageous attire. Fish-net stockings with a mini-skirt and a tubetop with a floral pattern on it. Her eyebrows mushed together at the sight, but her heart had started to race in the process. "Ah, Tsukimi! Kurakao is back! She has great news," Chieko said as she passed by with a tray of tea in hand.

With her name being sounded, Kuranosuke's purple orbs shot up and instantly found the Tsukimi he worked so hard on. Horror suddenly flashed across his face and he ran across the room in his spike heels, grasping Tsukimi's face in between his hands. "What happened to all of that work!"

Tsukimi grimaced, pulling herself back and averting her gaze. "You're the one that was gone for so long. The last thing you said was to be prepared. "

Kuranosuke sighed in aggravation, turning his back to her. "Well, I have great news, as Chieko said. I managed to get a department for our line of clothing!" he cooed, wiggling in his spot quite girlishly.

Everyone seemed to be excited, and Tsukimi was too for a moment… Realizing she would be moving out, she was suddenly mortified. "So where is it located?"

"Ah… Marunochi," Kuranosuke said, but he didn't sound as displeased as the look upon everyone's faces.

Everyone turned to look at Tsukimi, ghoulishly walking toward her. "Tsukimi~" Mayaya wailed in the process of getting to her.

Tsukimi was glomped in a hug that startled her. "Marunochi? That's so… far," Chieko said, sounding hesitant. "We can't all move there."

Kuranosuke held up a finger. "That's just it. I only need Tsukimi."

Chieko didn't look pleased. "It's about a three hour drive," Kuranosuke said. "And it's still in the Tokyo area. You all can come see our progress on occasions. We just need to do this soon to get the department organized and painted. It's a real run-down with its current colors."

Everyone sighed gloomily, but no one seemed to be arguing. They all saw Tsukimi's inspiration in making Jellyfish dresses and instead of moping around, she could finally do something. Kuranosuke started upstairs, more than likely heading to Tsukimi's bedroom. Tsukimi left the ghouls to their gloom and hurried behind him, finding he instantly started taking notebooks and sketchbooks that had her sketches in them and piling them into the floor. "Tsukimi. Start packing."

Tsukimi blinked as she stared, quietly. Kuranosuke had apparently brought loads of boxes, determined to finish this in a day's worth. Without a word, she started pulling her room apart and taking what she wanted and putting them into boxes. Within an hour and a half, her room was empty and torn apart with boxes scattered everywhere. Kuranosuke had torn off his wig out of frustration in the process and now sat in the floor, propped up against the wall. Tsukimi avoided looking at him for too long, having met his pretty purple eyes too many times to keep herself straight in the head.

"Tsukimi," he said, sounding gruff. His girlish voice he put on now gone. "I told you to get out of the habit of dressing and looking like that."

Tsukimi shrugged.

"If you're going to do this with me, you need to abide by my rules."

Kuranosuke had stood and started carrying boxes downstairs. The Koibuchi driver had been waiting outside, packing the boxes into the trunk. Any boxes left were packed in the backseat with room left for one person and another in the front seat. Kuranosuke briefly returned to tug Tsukimi with him. Tsukimi had managed to say her goodbyes and it was like that: she was gone.

They returned to the Koibuchi mansion. Shū was gone, off on vacation still, so she heard. Her heart tugged slightly at the thought of him, but over the past few months alone, she had developed an interest in… Her thoughts ceased as she shook her head. _No no no!_ She chanted in her mind, carrying a couple boxes inside where she was told to leave them at the door. The last thing she remembered was Clara. She hurried back out and looked to the driver who was carefully taking the tank inside. "Kuranosuke! What about Clara? She can't handle that long of a drive," she cried, glancing back in his direction.

"I had it taken care of. She'll be flown there and get there by the time we do as an urgent delivery and marked as live and fragile."

Tsukimi was indifferent, but she left it at that. Kuranosuke instantly snatched her away and pushed a large box in her direction. "I took the liberty of getting you a new wardrobe."

Tsukimi's eyes narrowed at the box and she looked inside. Since Kuranosuke was such a girl, there were skirts and dresses and everything girly of the like. She grimaced, shaking at her head. Kuranosuke rummaged through and pulled out a skirt not too short and a shirt which had an intriguing pattern on it. "I demand you change."

Kuranosuke shoved her into a nearby bathroom with the clothes and it was here that she was forced to change. There were a couple times she attempted to slip out when she thought he had disappeared, but his face just inches from hers when she opened the door nearly gave her a heartattack and she shut herself back into the bathroom. Eventually, Tsukimi gave in and she came out in the skirt and the shirt, grumbling under her breath because she was so unused to clothing fitting to her figure. "There!" Kuranosuke chimed.

Kuranosuke bent over and reached for the ties that kept her braided hair tied, pulling them and letting her hair fall loose. Tsukimi's face immediately reddened and with her staring up at him innocently the way she was, he started to feel warm in the face, too. Clearing his throat, he straightened and turned himself around. "We leave tomorrow morning. My old man is away, so don't worry about interruptions. How about we go look at the fabric we want to stock up on?"

Tsukimi was willing to follow after this, coming to his room and glancing over the mannequins with a tons of dresses to be worked on. Her brown eyes glimmered. They were ready to be shipped with them when they left. Kuranosuke took out a large box of fabrics. Frilly fabrics, feather fabrics… There was a sudden chuckle. "Well, I guess we can take all of them," he said, giving a nod.

In the process of setting it out to be taken, he had pulled himself from the clothes he wore. Thankfully, Tsukimi didn't have to see this. He had disappeared and suddenly reappeared in a pair of jeans and a turtle-neck long-sleeved shirt, all traces of makeup gone. Her heart fluttered and she hated herself for it. When Kuranosuke spotted her looking in his direction, he advanced on her and rose an eyebrow, his face inches from hers. Breaking from her daydream, she jumped out of her skin. Kuranosuke's face was too close to her liking. He reached up to touch her face, a small caress, then brushed some hair from her eyes. He lingered there, Tsukimi instinctively shutting her eyes in the process. This left Kuranosuke struggling with himself. He wanted to capture her lips and taste them. He inched closer but immediately backed himself away, sighing to himself and leaving the room, leaving Tsukimi to slump against the wall and slide down it, resting soundly against her backside as her heart crashed against her chest. She thought it was going to pop out of her chest. "Oh, man…" she uttered quietly, her eyebrows pulling together.

This was definitely not her mind toying with her.

* * *

^ **All characters belong to Akiko Higashimura. **

^ **All information along the lines of Tokyo, please don't hold it against me.**


	3. Chapter 2

Tsukimi was tossing and turning the entire night. She was given a guest's bedroom and it just didn't seem right to her. She was anxious. She squirmed underneath the expensive silken sheets, finally becoming still. The bedroom door open and she heard her name being called, but it was obvious at this hour she would be sleeping. Right?

Kuranosuke approached just to check to see if she wasn't overwhelmed by any means. He saw her eyes were closed, and her chest rising and falling. Definitely asleep. He bent down to caress her cheek as he had done earlier that day. He was so tempted, having not seen her in months. It seemed like years. While he did get pissed to see her in a trashy state, his heart still fluttered about in his chest like he was a teenager again. It wasn't long ago that he was one, considering he was over the age of twenty now. Tsukimi he knew was still eighteen, but he wasn't sure of that either now that he thought about it… He let out a sigh as he found himself nearing Tsukimi's soft looking lips, then froze and stiffened. _What the hell am I doing!? _He kicked himself mentally as he got up and hurried out of the bedroom. Sleep would not be something that was going to come easy… He went to his bedroom, grumbling and warm in the face. After crawling into bed, she let out a long exhale. This was hopeless…

In the morning, Kuranosuke was on the move. With everything packed from last night, things were being transferred into the car for the trip. Clara had already departed with her necessities and they would be there by the time Clara arrived at the department building. Boxes of clothing, paint, more clothing and other necessities were hauled out. By the time Tsukimi was up, he snatched her to the bathroom and ended up brushing out her messy hair. She threw a fit when he started to undress her, pushing him out. He only caught the slightest bit of her chest, but he cleared his throat. He had given her a skirt with some leggings and a grey, sleeve-less turtleneck shirt. He gave her a pair of low-heeled shoes to wear with the outfit and when she came out with her hair in pig-tails again, he started to jump at her. "Tsukimi!" he scolded, reaching out to pull the hair-ties from her hair and let the soft tresses fall around her face. He reached for a brush and started brushing it out, grabbing a hair-clip and pulling the hair that framed her face around back and clipping it there. Kuranosuke ended up doing a couple touch-ups but left her face without makeup. It was a long drive so she didn't have to be dolled up for no reason. Truth be told, he might have done this before they left just to stare at something pretty. Not that she wasn't pretty. Tsukimi always hid behind her hair, so pulling it away from her face made it much easier to stare at.

"Alright, we leave in ten. We'll grab something to eat out in the car." Kuranosuke said, eyeing her while she turned around and headed back to the guest's bedroom.

He remained there until she returned with her glasses upon her face and a couple sketchbooks. She went straight downstairs, sleepy and cute in Kuranosuke's eyes. He followed behind her and outside to the car. For once, Kuranosuke hadn't dressed himself up all cutely. There was a lot of painting and work to be done before they opened their store. In the car, there were a couple bags of various breakfast foods. Tsukimi showed no hesitation in searching through them and grabbing some Tamagoyaki and some Sobameshi. Her stomach grumbled as she got them settled on a pull out table, pausing briefly as nervousness settled inside of her. Kuranosuke only watched her, waiting for her to relax before reaching for the bags and searching them. He found a container of miso soup and settled with that and some rice. As the driver set forth for their destination, Tsukimi and Kuranosuke remained quiet as they filled their stomachs with enough food to satisfy their hunger.

After their meal, there was an hour of silence. Kuranosuke sat across from Tsukimi who was sleepy from the meal. She had her head leaning against the window and was napping peacefully. Kuranosuke murred as he tilted his head and glimpsed over her, starting at the legs. His heart throbbed as he narrowed his eyes at her face. God, he needed help…

It was another hour before Tsukimi started to stir awake. She started rubbing at her brown eyes and looking to the spot where Kuranosuke was located before she fell asleep. She turned her head and immediately stiffened and reddened at finding him beside of her, so very close to her face. He reached over to cup her face and pull her in, but considering how stiff and tense she was, she refused this.

Kuranosuke narrowed his eyes and his eyebrows scrunched together in frustration. "Tsukimi," he muttered, staring into her eyes and finally sighing.

He pulled away and returned to the spot across from her, leaving her be. The driver notified them that they would be arriving in an hour and thirty minutes. With another sigh, Kuranosuke glimpsed over to some of the boxes packed in with them. Inside one of them were sketchbooks. He took one and flipped them open, his face lighting up at what he found. Inside, on many pages, were sketches of dresses in the shape of various jellies. There was a couple of different types of flower hat jellies. On another page were dresses that suited the Blue Angels jelly. Another page resembled a purple striped jelly. Another held a picture with reference to a cannonball jelly. He looked up to Tsukimi who had a smile playing at her lips. "Are they bad?"

"Oh, Tsukimi. Not at all! These are beautiful!" he exclaimed, glancing through other pages with many jellies with various styles. At least she was bringing out the designer side in her.

When he flipped through a couple more pages, he saw what looked like the outline of the inside of a building. There was a pretty blue for the color of the walls with bubbles here and there. There looked to be little jellyfish dolls hanging from the ceiling along with what looked like… seashells? He rose an eyebrow slightly. "Was this—?"

"I did it last night with some paint." She said, holding up her hands.

Here, he finally noticed the color upon her fingers. Glancing back down to the papers, he gave a sigh. "Tsukimi, these are great. I was having trouble considering what it would look like. I do have some paint, but we will have to go out later to get more fabrics to make these dolls."

Tsukimi smiled, reaching for the sketchbook and flipping through a couple pages more. When she came to one piece of paper, she held it up. It was a very pretty dress design and he wasn't certain on what jelly she got this one from. Tsukimi knew it was a White Spotted jellyfish. So elegant and beautiful. "This was as close as I could get to my… well… my thoughts on what my mother would make for me," she said, glancing up to him and back down shyly before folding the sketchbook closed.

Kuranosuke remained quiet as she turned to look back out the window some more. Then she silence for the remainder of the trip started. It was hell for him, but by the time he was nodding off, the car came to a stop and the driver notified them they had arrived. Tsukimi was the first to get out, Kuranosuke being drowsy and getting out last. The building Kuranosuke bought was at least three stories tall… Tsukimi's eyes glittered in the process. The driver started to politely unpack, leaving Tsukimi to blink in confusion. "Wait, are we staying here?"

Kuranosuke glanced back at her as he started picking up suitcases and boxes. "The two floors are for our business. The very top floor is a suite fit for a home," he said with a smirk, something that made Tsukimi uneasy.

Hours were spent pulling boxes into the building and dragging this and that that belonged to the home instead of the business up to the third floor. Clara, much to Tsukimi's surprise, was sitting on a counter on the top floor, floating about in such a happy manner. Giving a smile in Clara's direction, she turned to inspect the suite. Two bathrooms, a nice living room and kitchen area. And… Tsukimi's mouth fell. There was only one bedroom and it was huge. Maybe there could be two beds put in here instead of just one. As Tsukimi looked up to two men hauling in a bed-frame, she watched as Kuranosuke appeared and directed where they were to put the frame. Tsukimi stiffened, turning to look in Kuranosuke's direction. "Wha… There's just one bed?"

Kuranosuke blinked his purple hues in her direction. "Is there a problem with that?"

Tsukimi was obviously starting to tremble. "O-of course there is!" she exclaimed, looking up to the men who brought in the king sized mattress and sat it down on the frame after managing to get the box-spring first. Considering how big the bed was, Tsukimi's small frame would not take up much. If she was to sleep in the same bed as him, she would make sure to avoid contact. Turning, she ran smack into Kuranosuke, freezing instantaneously. Kuranosuke blinked a couple more times, patting her on the head and leaning down to her ear. "I have something for you later..." he murmured, a smirk playing at his lips.

* * *

** **I thank anyone who has read this fan-fic! I do truly love these two and wish they had gotten a bit further in the anime/manga. c: Enjoy! ****


	4. Chapter 3

It seemed to be forever as she went about, almost mechanically. Unpacking, fixing, placing things in the right places, and repeating. _I have something for you later…_ The words continued to ring through her ears, making any and all sound mute. Tsukimi's heart pounded and she stumbled everywhere, flustered. Avoiding him seemed difficult. Kuranosuke popped up everywhere! A whimper sounded the last time she did and she could hear him chuckle as he brushed by her. _No,_ Tsukimi thought, _don't let him tease you!_ Tsukimi continued doing the unpacking of her belongings to the best of her ability. It crawled closer and closer to dark as time ticked on and she became aware that she would be in the same bed as him soon. Kuranosuke came into the room, the makeup from his face gone and dressed in a t-shirt and boxers. "Almost done, Tsukimi? I called in dinner." He asked as he hovered over her, looking at the things she was going through in the boxes.

Tsukimi jumped, and he swore she came off the ground. Her head turned up to look up at him, the meek face he adored secretly. A smile formed. "We've done enough work for today. Come eat."

Kuranosuke disappeared and Tsukimi was left in a mess of emotions. She stood shakily, going out of the bedroom and into the living area. The scent of take-out suddenly made her realize just how hungry she really was. She went to go sit at the table and started taking portions of this and that onto her plate. She didn't bother looking to Kuranosuke, who was staring at her with those majestic purple eyes. While they ate, they were quiet. They didn't talk. After Tsukimi finished, she slowly stood. "I'll take a bath first, if that's okay," she said, finally her brown eyes going to his. She was instantly frozen.

Kuranosuke nodded. "After you," he said. He was still eating, but that was only because he had been watching her instead.

Tsukimi left. She drew water in the bath and did the usual. She rinsed her body after pulling off her clothing, revealing the girlish body she hid under the baggy clothing she always wore. Her breasts weren't as large. Maybe a B-cup at most. There wasn't really an extra inch of skin anywhere on her. After washing and rinsing herself off, she settled into the water to soak, sinking into the warm water with a sigh. _I should stay in here_, she thought, content with the warmth from the bath. Not long did she pull herself from it, wrapping herself in a towel. She cursed to herself for forgetting a change of clothing. Just as she was stepping out of the bath, her eyes went up to Kuranosuke. Her face went red as she inched passed him to the bedroom. Kuranosuke watched her every step before taking his place in the bathroom. He took a short bath and retired to the bedroom, a towel on his head and rubbing at his hair, only dressed in his boxers. The moment he set foot in the bedroom, his purple eyes locked on to Tsukimi, who seemed to not have been dressed yet. She was just now slipping from the towel and he could see her form clearly. The dark curls between her legs and how her body had the feminine curves he hadn't expected her to have. She looked elegant, staring back at him, her hair tumbling over her shoulders in curls. Finally he felt the towel hit his face and then the sound of her complaints. When he pulled the towel that had been thrown at him from his face, he looked to see Tsukimi had fled to the bed. There was a lump under the comforter and he couldn't help but to smile. So calm he seemed, when on the inside, his heart was pounding so hard that it hurt. His groin was stirring in his boxers restlessly at the sight. Pushing himself forward, he came to stand by the bed, reaching out to take the fabric of the comforter into his hands. He started to pull, but Tsukimi was indifferent. She held tight onto it the second she felt he was going pull it from her. Her heart was racing, and she thought she had wet herself the second she heard him walk in. _He saw me, he saw me, he saw me! _Her will to keep the blanket over her was wild. She clutched onto the blanket like it was her life on the line and she nearly stopped breathing when the tugging suddenly ceased. Tsukimi didn't hear anything, but she definitely felt the bed dip, which only made her heart return to its fast beating pulse. She tensed, keeping her hold on the blanket. "Tsukimi," Kuranosuke muttered, a hand managing to pull the blanket away from her head, staring intently down at her.

Tsukimi had noted it was dark. The lights were off and she could only see him because her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. His hand cupped her cheek and she squeezed her eyes shut. For the briefest of moments, it was quiet, but then her lips tingled. His lips pressed against hers gently, testing for any form of refusal. There wasn't any. In fact, she began to return the kiss. Off guard, he tugged the blanket off of her to reveal the creamy white of her skin. A gasp surfaced from her and she yanked away, her hands searching for the blanket, which he had thrown behind him. Kuranosuke lay there with his arm propped up, his head resting in his hand, looking smug. Tsukimi stared at him in dismay and the next thing in mind was to leave the room. As she slowly started to move to do so, he wrestled her into keeping still. Eventually she ended up on her back with him straddling her, her wrists trapped in one of his hands above her head. The moment was so tense, she couldn't bring the words she wanted to say to her lips. Kuranosuke gave a smile, lowered his head, and proceeded to kiss her again.

_Why is my body on fire? _She thought, whimpering against his lips.

Tsukimi enjoyed the kissing, but being held captive bothered her the most. As one hand held her so, the other seemed to trail down her chest. She remained tense the entire expedition down until it covered one breast. The sensation was strange. He groped experimentally, sending strange sensations through her body. _What are you doing_, she hissed in her mind, still unable to find the words. Kuranosuke seemed interested, his face so calm as he did these things to her. All the while, she felt her stomach churning nervously. Even though he seemed so, Kuranosuke was kicking himself so hard on the inside. His will to stop himself was small. She felt so nice.

"Kuranosuke, what are you…" Tsukimi finally whimpered out.

Kuranosuke had just slithered his hand down to her dark curls when she said this, looking up to her. The flush to her cheeks, the lustful look in her eye… Kuranosuke's jaw tightened. His hand lowered more to search between her womanly folds, finding the sensitive nub. Tsukimi jerked in response, her hips bucking upward into his touch with the slightest of cries. This pushed Kuranosuke further, rubbing in circles. The throbbing flesh in-between his legs ached with need. "Tsukimi, I—" he started, finally forcing himself to yank his hand away and release her just as he felt his hand lower to try and slip into her warmth.

Tsukimi remained still, staring at him as he retreated. She didn't seem as embarrassed as she'd been just a couple of minutes ago, hiding from him. Now she looked beautiful and needy, something he had never seen on her face before. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her, pulling himself from the bed and covering her with the blanket. Kuranosuke turned on his heels and left. He would sleep on the couch tonight.

Tsukimi lay there in fascination. Her body was hot. As she turned onto her side and curled up under the blankets, she quietly thought about the events for hours until, finally, she found a deep slumber.

* * *

**^ Thank you for reading and I apologize for the extremely long delay!**

**^ All characters belong to Akiko Higashimura.**


	5. Chapter 4

The following day, she had been unable to face Kuranosuke. Even though he dressed as a male and worked so diligently, she couldn't look in his direction. The events from last night made her feel like she had been violated. Raped? Was that a little too extreme? No, he hadn't done anything of force except touch her. At first, she didn't want it, but the passionate kisses and the butterflies in her stomach made her feel so light and happy. It was later that evening she realized she was angry with him. She was putting the kitchen in order and grabbing a snack while she was at it, drinking some water when Kuranosuke touched her shoulder. Tsukimi's hand went flying and she delivered a hard slap to his cheek when she spun around to face him, her eyebrows furrowed and the tears started to sting her eyes.

Kuranosuke blinked before the stinging started and he wore a dark expression, one he hadn't worn for a long time. "What was that for?" he asked, his jaw tight.

"I didn't want any of that!" Tsukimi shouted at him, spinning around and hurrying back downstairs to the first floor where their store would be.

Kuranosuke stood there, holding his cheek in annoyance. All he could think was that she was a liar. Even if she didn't voice her opinion of wanting it or not. Turning, he went to quit for the day, going to the bathroom for a shower and to cool off.

Tsukimi, downstairs, had been hanging and fixing anything that seemed out of place. Although she had cried most of the hour since she had come down here, she seemed much more spirited. Making dolls always made her this way. She spoke with Clara once or twice, the first time being when she stormed down here, bawling her eyes out. By now, it came to mind that she was just overreacting. She had been nervous and a little freaked out from last night's experience. Tsukimi, yawning, pulled herself from the floor to go upstairs when she got an eyeful of Kuranosuke roaming around in just a towel wrapped around his waist. He was on the phone. Something about takeout or materials? Tsukimi didn't know. She hurried by, hearing the brief shuffle of an extra pair of feet then a hold on her wrist. His stare was alarming as she stared back

"Yes, please get them to me by tomorrow. No! No Spandex! …Hmmm, Silk for the Surah. Yes, thank you." Kuranosuke said, ending the call and pressing it to the kitchen counter behind her. "Tsukimi," he said, exasperated.

Tsukimi gave a yank at her wrist experimentally, his hold keeping her captive, meeting his gaze in frustration. "What?"

"I'm sorry I scared you. Can I start over?"

Tsukimi remained quiet, studying his purple orbs and that blond hair, droplets of water in the strands. "Start over?"

Kuranosuke rolled his eyes, stepping closer. He had released the hard hold on her wrist to a gentler, soothing hold, rubbing. "I like you, Tsukimi. I cherish you." It was here he brought her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it as he stared into her dark-brown eyes.

Tsukimi felt her cheeks flush. It had completely skipped her thoughts that he liked her. She just assumed he was taking advantage of her… She was such an idiot. "You're serious?"

Kuranosuke continued to stare at her. Tsukimi's lips pulled into a tight line. Yes, he was definitely serious. "O…kay," she said quietly, and she saw the light in his eyes.

Kuranosuke pulled her closer and lowered his head to her level. "That's great," he murmured, lingering near her as he stared into her eyes. "Can I kiss you?"

Tsukimi blinked multiple times at this question. What had he asked her? With a couple of more blinks, she only nodded a little more, as if he was asking her something she assumed was about food or something. The last thing she expected was his face to come closer. His hand came to her cheek and caressed, studying her expression before closing the distance. His lips pressed gently to hers, lingering until he felt her lips move along with his. Tsukimi had accepted the kiss without much of a fight. It was nice, light and enjoyable. It didn't need to be rough. When he pulled away, his heart jumped into his throat by the red of her face. How well it went with those brown eyes. He brushed strands of hair out of her eyes and backed away, brushing by her. It left her surprised he pulled away so easily as compared to yesterday when he was so aggressive.

The night was quiet. Kuranosuke had finally put on a pair of shorts, walking around without a top on. Tsukimi stared, ogling him. She didn't realize it fully, but her feelings for him were starting to develop. Seeing just how beautiful as a man he was. She quickly averted her gaze when he looked over at her. _Crap_,_ I've been caught_, she thought. Kuranosuke came over, looking over her, how startled she was. "What would you like for dinner?" he asked.

Tsukimi hesitated for a moment. "I think I would like some Age Gyoza. Deep fried. And I think I want a Tempura Donburi…" she said, glancing up at him every now and then.

Kuranosuke didn't seem to have any objections. "I think I'll get some Soba." He said, pulling his phone out of his pocket, dialing, and putting it to his ear. He relayed what they wanted and he gave their address for delivery and was off the phone in a minute. He stretched and she heard a couple of things pop, listening to him groan in response. He didn't say anything else, just kind of waited until their food was delivered. When it was, Tsukimi's stomach was growling loudly. Kuranosuke hurried down the stairs to the door, pulling out yen to pay for it and taking the food and turning to head back upstairs. He set the takeout on the counter in the kitchen, taking out the containers of the food. Checking each one, he separated them, putting Tsukimi's in one pile and his in another. Tsukimi slowly made her way into the kitchen, checking her food. She propped herself up on the bar-stool provided with the place, split her chopsticks and started on her Donburi dish. She sighed as she took a bite of the tempura. She pulled some vegetables out and ate them with some of the rice. She tested the Gyoza, sighing as well in delight. Tsukimi was this way when she was starving, enjoying the taste of every bite. Kuranosuke ate quietly, glancing at her pleased face every now and then. It made him happy to see her enjoying herself. Already she had made tons of jellyfish dolls for the ceiling downstairs.

After finishing their meal, Kuranosuke could tell Tsukimi was stuffed and she was becoming drowsy. She wobbled slightly on her stool until she nearly slid off, jolting and glancing around. Her eyes came to rest on him for a second, then she slid from the stool. "I think I'll turn in first…" she murmured, shuffling down the hall to the bedroom. The sound of the door shut and Kuranosuke tossed the containers into the trash, then made his way to the bedroom. He didn't think of knocking, so he just came in. He heard a gasp of alarm and Kuranosuke turned his head to find Tsukimi partially naked except for her undergarments. Her back was turned to him as if to protect herself somehow. He had to slip by her to get to his side of the bed, so the closer he got to her, the stiffer Tsukimi became. Kuranosuke stopped behind her. He brushed her long hair over her shoulder, placed a delicate kiss to her shoulder, and caressed her back slightly. He not only felt the bumps rise across her skin, but they were visible as she reacted to his touch. Slipping by her, he gave a stretch and slipped into the right side of the bed, glimpsing at her as he lay.

Tsukimi didn't budge until his eyes were closed. She slipped on her top and a pair of pajama bottoms, scurried to the other side of the bed and slipped beneath the covers. She turned off her bedside light, darkness invading the room. Kuranosuke stirred beside of her. Nothing happened. She let out a held breath, stirring to find a comfortable position. When she did, she found her slumber.

Tsukimi awoke the next morning, comfortable with the warmth. When she came to, she realized the warmth wasn't from the blanket. Her blanket couldn't move on its own. It was Kuranosuke, cuddled so closely, an arm draped over her stomach as if holding her protectively. She turned her head, jumping out of her skin when she found Kuranosuke's purple orbs staring back at her. The corner of his mouth turned upward in a smirk. Tsukimi remained still, alert, staring. Her lips were pursed in her staring contest process. The next moment was surprising to her. It all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. Kuranosuke had slipped his hand that rested on her stomach up to her chin, tipping it up and toward him. She trembled, but she wanted it. The feel of his lips on hers. Kuranosuke lowered his mouth to hers, kissing slowly, delicately. This went on for what seemed like forever until his phone chirped, the sounding of an alarm that would continue to go off until he turned it off. He seemed to ignore the sound for another minute or two, then reluctantly pulled away. He stared at her for a moment. Her flushed face, swollen lips from the kissing. He shivered. Turning away, he snatched his phone from the table, shut off the god-forsaken alarm and turned back toward her. Tsukimi was still there, splayed out. She looked stunned, dreamy even. Kuranosuke blinked, came closer. Her eyes moved to meet his. There was something different about them. A haze of some sort of emotion he'd never seen her with before. He did what he felt was right. He kissed her again. She moved with him, tasted him as he tasted her. Tsukimi seemed to enjoy it. Her legs stirred. She turned toward him as if to make it easier. Kuranosuke deepened the kiss, became hungrier, and felt the lust start to overwhelm him. Kuranosuke yanked back, breathless. He suddenly realized what it was in her eyes.

Arousal.

* * *

**^ All characters belong to Akiko Higashimura.**


	6. Chapter 5

Kuranosuke stared into Tsukimi's eyes. He was hesitant. Her top, which was a button up shirt, was disheveled, giving the slightest hint of a view at the tops of her breasts. He glanced down, finding a strip of skin from the shirt rising while she had slept and turned. His hand slid over the exposed belly, caressing the soft skin. She stirred more, her cheeks reddening. "Do you want something?" he questioned._ Just to be clear I won't get slapped again…_

Tsukimi stared up at him. Her eyebrows were pulled together in hesitation. "Yes…" she murmured, glancing away in embarrassment. It hadn't been until now that she'd felt such things. She never had the desire to be touched in such a perverse way. She'd thought about it, but pushed it to the side. She glimpsed up to find him staring intently at her. Searching her eyes. He sat up more until he was on his knees. He pulled her to the middle of the bed, tossed the blanked off of her and straddled her legs. Tsukimi looked startled. Kuranosuke leaned down, brushed some hair from her face and placed his lips to hers to reassure her he would be nice and not rush. He pulled away. Tsukimi stared up at him, then slowly let her eyes fall lower, eyeing the bulge in his boxers. This made her expression go back to alarmed. Kuranosuke tipped her chin up with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "Don't look at something you don't want," he murmured and started un-buttoning her shirt from the bottom.

Tsukimi didn't have much to say for the first couple of seconds as he un-buttoned each one on her shirt. Until he got to her breasts and she pulled her arms across her chest nervously. She may have worn a bra, but she still didn't want him to see. Kuranosuke rose an eyebrow at her, leaning closer to her face. "Would you rather me get straight to the point?" he asked, eyebrow still arched.

Tsukimi stared. She swore her lip was trembling. As she didn't answer, Kuranosuke slipped down her and started pulling at the waist of her pajama bottoms. He was taking her underwear with them. Tsukimi gasped, squeezing her legs together. They were only at her knees, but still enough to see. Tsukimi squeezed her eyes shut until she heard a chuckle. Kuranosuke had slipped to the bed, beside of her. "You're so cute being shy." His hand slipped out to touch the extra bared skin, caressing. It made her shiver, chill bumps running across her skin. "I won't do anything…"

Tsukimi's expression was sad. Kuranosuke ignored it. She obviously didn't want any of this. He slipped over the edge of the bed, went to the dresser and pulled on a pair of shorts and t-shirt. He didn't feel like dressing up and putting his makeup and wig on if he was just going to be working today. He gave one last glance in Tsukimi's direction. "I'll be downstairs. We have to paint." He said, staring at her before he left.

Tsukimi trembled, rolling to her belly and sulking. She felt like a fool. She lay there for a couple of minutes. She heard Kuranosuke still in the kitchen, making himself a small meal. Tsukimi let out an uneven breath, slowly slipping her fingers down to her pelvis. Tsukimi paused here, uncertain. She had never done this before… Her fingers went lower until she found the wetness of her groin. It made her furrow her eyebrows in confusion. She delved into the folds, finding a sensitive nub. She experimentally rubbed this, found a perfect pace as she experienced pleasure. She whimpered, trying to trap the moans that wanted to slip from her lips. She felt warm and the rubbing felt nice. She gasped once or twice, her toes curling in the process. Just as she felt the pleasure rising, her heart jumped out of her mouth when she felt the bed dip. Kuranosuke.

Kuranosuke leaned over her, straddling her. "How bold. Masturbating with the door open and your ass visible to me," he cooed.

Tsukimi tensed. Her cheeks felt hot from the embarrassment. She started pulling herself from beneath him when his hands captured her hips. He turned her over even though she made it difficult to. Eventually he found her face, flushed and embarrassed. This made him laugh a little, caressing her face. She leaned in to his touch as if craving the attention. "Ready?" he asked. She looked startled, as if she was just woken up. Bleary eyed and sleepy. He slipped his hand down to the area between her legs, brushing the folds, finding her opening. He first used one finger, testing the tightness. He stroked in and out of her, glancing up to look up at her face. Her eyes were closed and her eyebrows were drawn together as if she was trying to concentrate. When she let out a shaky breath, Kuranosuke crooked his finger to press against her G-Spot. After a couple of times and his pace quickening, she started to become livelier. Sighing, whimpering, and struggling to keep the moans in that he wanted to hear. "It's okay, you can let it out…"

It took a minute but Tsukimi did as he said. The sound of her moans were like heaven to his ears. It was such a pretty sound to come from her. He used his other hand to press his thumb to her clitoris as she'd been doing when he came in for his phone, only to spot this erotic sight. She writhed beneath him. Her moans became more often, mixed with whimpers. He added a second finger to her entry. She stretched to accommodate it, but it seemed to drive her wild. In a matter of seconds she tensed around his fingers. Tsukimi tensed up as well as he continued, pushing her over the edge. She cried out, going wet around the two fingers that had been inside of her. Kuranosuke pulled from her clitoris, watching her tremble and catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, he pulled from her, licking his fingers with a smirk. This made her blush and look away. Kuranosuke laughed. "Come paint…" he said, slipping off of the bed, going around to his side for his phone and leaving yet again.

Tsukimi stirred, looked up and around. Slowly she got out of the bed, hurrying to the dresser for her clothing. She looked through it, then scowled. He'd gotten rid of her clothing and replaced it with more womanly clothing? She sighed, went through it for a while, decided on a tank top and a pair of leggings. They looked like sweat-pants. When she pulled them on, the top fitted her figure. It showed the roundness of her breasts, the slimness of her waist and the curve to it. The pants felt snug, which made her narrow her eyes in annoyance. She turned to look in the mirror. It definitely rested on her hips and fit nicely, only it defined her backside. She rolled her eyes. He did this on purpose… She went out whether she liked it or not. In the kitchen, she steamed some rice and checked the fridge. Apparently Kuranosuke had made some miso soup and left some for her. She pulled it out and heated it. She sat in the floor in front of the coffee table. They really needed some cushions… She ate, finding Kuranosuke come up, wiping his forehead. Their gazes locked, Tsukimi being the first one to look away. "You wanted bubbles on the walls right? And some Jellyfish? Think you could do that?" he asked, going into the kitchen for some water.

Tsukimi kept quiet as she ate and she felt his purple orbs on her as he leaned against the door frame into the kitchen. "Oh, so you're not answering me now because I made you come? That's not nice," he said.

Tsukimi nearly choked on her rice. She coughed a couple of times. "How do you expect me to act? Especially when you took all of my clothes and replaced them?"

Kuranosuke looked like he was trying to hide a smile and stifle his laughter. "Sorry. I don't like you in baggy clothing. You look nicer with fitting clothing."

Tsukimi sighed. She wasn't going to complain. "We should go out later for groceries. We can't keep getting take-out." She said, finishing up her miso soup and rice before standing, running into him in the process. She glanced up at him, found the serious gaze on her, and then ducked away. She put the dishes into the sink, yelped in alarm as arms wrapped around her and lips pressed to her exposed neck and shoulders.

"Don't be afraid of me… I won't force you to do anything anymore. I'll do anything for you Tsukimi." Kuranosuke said next to her ear.

It made her shiver, his deep voice next to her ear. Over the years, his voice had deepened. It always sent chills up her spine. "O-okay, let's go paint," she said, glancing up at him with a small smile.

It was an improvement. Kuranosuke lowered to kiss her lips. She kissed him in return without any hesitation. He made a mental note that she liked kissing. Two minutes had passed and Kuranosuke had become more passionate. They stopped when Tsukimi gasped, jumping away. Her eyes dropped to the bulge and back up at him. It had startled her to feel a sudden prod. "Sorry," he murmured. He gestured her to go ahead while he cooled off, leaning there against the counter for a moment or two. Eventually he forced the bulge away with disgusting thoughts and he headed downstairs. Tsukimi was studying the walls, her sketches splayed out on the floor as she thought of where to put the drawings. This was only the first floor of two floors they needed to do work on. This floor would have to be where the jellyfish dolls were sold with a couple of other trinkets as well. The second floor would be where the clothing was for sell.

Kuranosuke returned to painting the rest of the walls. It took an hour or two at most for the first coat and then a second for any places that seemed off. Tsukimi had already drawn four jellyfish. Beautiful and exotic, as if a professional artist had painted this. Tsukimi had to wait while the other parts dried, so she went back to sit in the floor, cleaning her hands and making a couple of more dolls to hang from the ceiling and more to sale. Kuranosuke had to come over and stop her from her work, poking her on the forehead to grab her attention. She blinked multiple times and looked up. "Want to go get the groceries and a bite to eat? It'll give the walls time to dry. And we can get extra things for the house."

Tsukimi slowly nodded. She gathered the dolls and added them to the large basket she had. Kuranosuke sputtered as he just now saw the basket. "Holy—I didn't know you made that many! I think that's enough, honestly." He said, glancing to her.

Tsukimi shrugged. "We could always use more for the second floor? Is it going to be the same colors, the walls?"

Kuranosuke scratched at some dried paint on his hand. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he said, glancing up to her. "Go get cleaned up and we'll head out." He glimpsed over her attire to see if she'd gotten any paint on them, but it was only on her hands.

Tsukimi hurried upstairs. Kuranosuke had followed her, which made her hurry all the more since he was probably smirking and staring at her behind. One she reached the top floor and got into the kitchen and to the sink, she washed off the paint. It came off easily. She jumped as Kuranosuke stood next to her and leaned in to wash the paint off. She was failing at trying to get used to this new relationship. She could try harder. As she dried off her hands, she reached for a notepad, started scribbling on it. She wrote the things that they needed. Tofu, udon noodles, shrimp tempura, some more rice, pork, beef, chicken, seaweed, eggs, some panko, eel and squid… She also wrote down things they needed for the bathroom. There wasn't much of anything left. Kuranosuke leaned over her, looking over her shoulder. "Wow, you're going all out. Want to stock up that badly, huh?"

She looked to him, looked back to the list, and continued writing some more which made Kuranosuke laugh. She added flour, thinking of fried tempura batter and Tanuki Soba. She put down crab and shrimp, thinking about Korokke. Kuranosuke yanked the notepad from her. "I think you're good. If you write what you want when you're hungry, you'll write everything down." He said, taking the slip of paper from the pad, folding it and putting it into his pocket. "Come on."

With that, they left, getting into the back of the car Kuranosuke persisted he should keep. He felt it gave his driver something to do instead of nothing. On their way to the store for at least ten minutes, finally they pulled in somewhere. Only it wasn't the grocery store. Tsukimi's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, darting her brown hues in his direction. Kuranosuke held up his hands. "Hey, you're hungry. Eat first."

The driver came around to open her door and she got out, Kuranosuke coming out behind her. It was a quaint looking restaurant. Kuranosuke guided her inside, took a seat at a table. A waitress came by to ask them for drinks. Tsukimi asked for Kocha, which was black tea. Kuranosuke asked for Jūrokucha. For the time being, they looked over the menu. Tsukimi had already decided on some Miso soup ramen with extra eggs and butter. Kuranosuke seemed indifferent as he looked, his chin resting in the palm of a propped up hand. Tsukimi stared. He looked so elegant. He radiated it. When he glanced at her and caught her staring, she looked away. Kuranosuke wrapped his fingers around the nape of her neck and pulled her back to look at him, placing a kiss to her lips. It was more than embarrassing to do in public, especially with girls looking at him in interest. If they had any before, it was definitely gone when they kissed. Tsukimi instantly melted and went along with it. He pulled away and returned to his menu.

As the waitress came around, with the drinks, he had decided. Tsukimi relayed hers and finally he spoke up. "I'd like some Nabeyaki if you can." He said. He knew that it was served in the colder months, but as it was getting slightly cold, they had to start serving it soon. The woman nodded with a smile and left.

Tsukimi sipped at her tea with a sigh of contentment. She watched from the corner of her eye as Kuranosuke did too. He glanced at her and she jumped, blinking at him. "Do you have some sort of radar or something when someone looks at you? It's creepy!"

Kuranosuke smirked. "No. I can just see from the corner of my eye that you're turned in my direction."

Tsukimi crossed her arms over her chest, looking away. She didn't turn toward him every time did she? As for the wait for the food, it would have to be a couple five minutes more. Tsukimi's stomach growled. Kuranosuke laughed. She looked at him with a huff. "What?"

Kuranosuke shook his head. "No, it's nothing," he said, glancing at her, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. He saw the girls staring as if in disbelief, thinking it was just some sort of joke. He tipped Tsukimi's chin up, pressed his lips to hers all the while staring at the girls. After a couple of minutes, they'd gotten the picture and started sulking at their table. He parted from her lips and looked down at her, finding her face flushed and her eyes swarming with arousal. Kuranosuke stiffened, blinking at her. "Ah, sorry…"

Tsukimi glanced away, stirring and fidgeting. One of her hands was balled up in a fist and resting at her groin, as if she was tempted. As the waitress came around with the food, she had something else to distract her. She ate and Kuranosuke did as well. She was the last to finish, filling up quite quickly and leaving some noodles in the bowl. Tsukimi still felt the effects of the arousal and the warmth between her legs. She was self-conscious about it and she slowly slipped out and stood, going straight to the bathroom. She waited hesitantly since the bathroom was occupied, and just as it opened and Tsukimi started inside, she gasped when an extra person joined her. From the mirror, she could see it was Kuranosuke. The sound of the door locking made her twitch. "This is the women's bathroom. Why are you in here?"

"I came to participate in what you were going to do."

Tsukimi blinked at him. "Peeing?"

Kuranosuke narrowed his eyes. "You know very well what."

Tsukimi looked to the side and back up to him for moment. Kuranosuke came forward, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her. It merely added to the arousal. She didn't feel like they should be doing such a thing in public, but… Her thoughts trailed up when she was lifted and pushed up against the wall. He pushed down her pants with her underwear and lifted her higher, making her level with his face and level with his groin. It felt weird to feel such a thing rub against her, even if it was clothed. Kuranosuke slipped his hand between them, rubbing the warmth until two fingers slipped inside. Tsukimi gasped in alarm. She groaned lightly as he continued his previous method, only he captured her mouth and continued kissing her throughout her moans. "Don't be too loud," he murmured against her mouth, panting slightly.

Tsukimi tried, but each time she made a noise, he covered her mouth with his. It came to a point where he kissed her until she found her release, which she tensed and moaned loudly into his mouth, muffled. Her legs trembled at her release, which felt just as amazing as the previous one. Kuranosuke guided her back to her feet and as she started to slip her pants and underwear back up, he grabbed one of her wrists. "No, don't. I need something so I don't walk out of here with a serious hard-on," he muttered, pulling his pants from him, slipping them down to his feet.

Tsukimi was alarmed as he pulled his boxers down just enough for the erection to be free. _Good lord!_ She thought. It looked like it was a little longer than six inches. She shied away from it. Kuranosuke came closer, lifting her shirt up. "Hold it," he murmured, his fingers wrapped around his length and slowly stroking it.

Tsukimi did as he said, quiet and alert. He had put his free hand on the wall beside of her, his stroking pace quickening. His eyes closed as he concentrated. Tsukimi never thought it, but he looked so… sexy? Was that the word for it? He let out uneven breaths as he continued, shivering here and there. He glanced up at her once or twice, stealing a kiss during one of the times. It was urgent and hungry. When he pulled away, he groaned slightly, which gave Tsukimi chill bumps and a blush upon her face. Kuranosuke finally grunted and tensed. Out came his release, splattering across her belly. Tsukimi had flinched at it. She knew nothing about the penis or what came out of it, but now she knew. She glanced down at her taut belly and the cloudy white looking liquid. Kuranosuke had left to get some damp paper towels, returning to carefully rub away the semen. He looked up to her as he fixed his boxers and pulled his pants back up, finding a very intrigued look upon Tsukimi's face. "Pants," he said, clearing his throat to throw her out of her reverie.

"Oh!" she gasped, ducking down to pull her underwear and pants back up. From here, they left, paying the bill and making their way to the car with their fingers interlaced with one another's, laughing at what had just happened.

* * *

**^ All characters belong to Akiko Higashimura. **


End file.
